# US 12,004,059 B2 · Enhanced identification in communication networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,004,059 B2 - Document ID: US12004059B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/363,975 - Filed: 2021-06-30 - Published: 2022-01-13 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-09 - Assignees: Nokia Technologies Oy - Applicants: Nokia Technologies Oy - Inventors: Nagendra S Bykampadi; Jani Petteri Ekman; Anja Jerichow - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004059B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/50: Service provisioning or reconfiguring - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services - H04W 12/069: using certificates or pre-shared keys - H04W 12/76: Group identity - H04L 63/0807: {using tickets, e.g. Kerberos (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213)} - H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising receiving, by a network repository function, a request from a network function, wherein the request comprises a string associated with an instance identity of the network function, determining, by the network repository function, a type of the instance identity of the network function from a set of instance identity types, determining, by the network repository function, the instance identity of the network function based on the string associated with the instance identity of the network function and the type of the instance identity of the network function and transmitting, by the network repository function, a response to the network function, wherein the response depends on whether the instance identity of the network function was found in a list of network function instances registered at the network repository function. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, in a network repository function, comprising: receiving a request from a network function, wherein the request comprises a string associated with an instance identity of the network function; determining a type of the instance identity of the network function from a set of instance identity types comprising different instance identity types; determining the instance identity of the network function based on the string associated with the instance identity of the network function and the type of the instance identity of the network function; and transmitting a response to the network function, wherein the response depends on whether the instance identity of the network function was found in a list of network function instances registered at the network repository function, wherein the set of instance identity types comprises an identity type for service mesh technologies, and wherein the identity type for service mesh technologies comprises a Secure Production Identity Framework for Everyone, SPIFFE, identity type, wherein the network function includes an NFInstanceID of the network function in the format of UUID for backward compatibility or in the format of SPIFFE ID, wherein the SPIFFE ID covers trust domain and locality, UUIDv4/v5, NF Type, and service names as part of the SPIFFE workload identity in SPIFFE Verifiable Identity Document, SVID, wherein a certificate of the network function includes the assigned NFInstanceID of the network function or multiple NFInstanceIDs of the network function if applicable for a target deployment architecture, and wherein the network function instance includes multiple SPIFFE IDs. ### Claim 2 An apparatus comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive, by a network repository function, a request from a network function, wherein the request comprises a string associated with an instance identity of the network function; determine, by the network repository function, a type of the instance identity of the network function from a set of instance identity types comprising different instance identity types; determine, by the network repository function, the instance identity of the network function based on the string associated with the instance identity of the network function and the type of the instance identity of the network function; and transmit, by the network repository function, a response to the network function, wherein the response depends on whether the instance identity of the network function was found in a list of network function instances registered at the network repository function, wherein the set of instance identity types comprises an identity type for service mesh technologies, and wherein the identity type for service mesh technologies comprises a Secure Production Identity Framework for Everyone, SPIFFE, identity type, wherein the network function includes an NFInstanceID of the network function in the format of UUID for backward compatibility or in the format of SPIFFE ID, wherein the SPIFFE ID covers trust domain and locality, UUIDv4/v5, NF Type, and service names as part of the SPIFFE workload identity in SPIFFE Verifiable Identity Document, SVID, wherein a certificate of the network function includes the assigned NFInstanceID of the network function or multiple NFInstanceIDs of the network function if applicable for a target deployment architecture, and wherein the network function instance includes multiple SPIFFE IDs. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the type of the instance identity of the network function defines an identity type to be used for interpreting the string associated with the instance identity of the network function. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the set of instance identity types comprises a Universally Unique Identifier, UUID, identity type. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the type of the instance identity of the network function is determined based on the request. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request comprises an indication indicating that the type of the instance identity of the network function comprises the SPIFFE identity type. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the apparatus is further configured to determine, responsive to determining that the request does not comprise an indication about the type of the instance identity of the network function, that the type of the instance identity of the network function comprises the UUID identity type. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the network function operates according to at least one standard specification defined by a 3rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the network function is in a core network of a cellular communication network. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: determine, by a network function, a string associated with an instance identity of the network function; determine, by the network function, a type of the instance identity of the network function from a set of instance identity types comprising different instance identity types; and transmit, by the network function, a request to a network repository function, wherein the request comprises the string associated with the instance identity of the network function, wherein the set of instance identity types comprises an identity type for service mesh technologies, and wherein the identity type for service mesh technologies comprises a Secure Production Identity Framework for Everyone, SPIFFE, identity type, wherein the network function includes an NFInstanceID of the network function in the format of UUID for backward compatibility or in the format of SPIFFE ID, wherein the SPIFFE ID covers trust domain and locality, UUIDv4/v5, NF Type, and service names as part of the SPIFFE workload identity in SPIFFE Verifiable Identity Document, SVID, wherein a certificate of the network function includes the assigned NFInstanceID of the network function or multiple NFInstanceIDs of the network function if applicable for a target deployment architecture, and wherein the network function instance includes multiple SPIFFE IDs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the type of the instance identity of the network function defines an identity type to be used for interpreting the string associated with the instance identity of the network function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the set of instance identity types comprises a Universally Unique Identifier, UUID, identity type. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the type of the instance identity of the network function is to be determined based on the request. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the request comprises an indication indicating that the type of the instance identity of the network function comprises the SPIFFE identity type. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further configured to transmit, responsive to determining that the type of the instance identity of the network function comprises the UUID identity type, the request without the type of the instance identity of the network function. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the network repository function is in a core network of a cellular communication network.